The Jade Monkey Flies Again

Several years ago, I wrote a blog about my adventures traveling and teaching in Korea and China called "Adventures of the Jade Monkey."  Since that blog is fairly well junked by the internets, and since this is a very different kind of adventure, I decided to start a new blog to record my pilgrimage to S. Korea in 2024.

A bit of background:  I lived and worked in S. Korea in 2002-2003, visited in 2007 to try making a documentary about the lives of EFL teachers in Korea, and returned in 2010 to teach at Hanyang University and finish that film. Due to reasons mounting in my personal life, I never did complete that film.

Then in 2012, I experienced a profound reversion/conversion and returned to the Catholic Church. Previously, I had spent many years practicing Tibetan Buddhism, so this was a massive shift in my self-awareness and understanding of the truth of reality. 

At the risk of boring you with my life story, I'll just say this... in 2022 I decided I needed to dive back into filmmaking after years of teaching and writing. I'm now in postproduction for a short film I wrote and directed called "Souled." And I'm in preproduction for this film, Korea Dreambus.

Now, this will be a very different film from what I had envisioned lo those many years ago. I will make a pilgrimage to the holy sites of the Korean martyrs as well as a pilgrimage to the town I worked and lived in 22 years ago.

My goals for this film:

• to introduce Western audiences to the unique beginnings and history of the Catholic Church in Korea
• to explore life as a oeguk (foreigner) 22 years after my initial move to Korea, including culture shock, reconnection, and change in place and time by revisiting places I once knew well

My goals for the pilgrimage:

• to venerate the martyrs of Korea
• to bring the prayers of the faithful with me on this pilgrimage
• to experience Korea as a practicing Catholic
• to visit my dear friends, my "Korean family" in Namchang and Ulsan

And so it begins... I'll use this space to keep people updated and to do some fundraising. Let the adventures begin!

Komapsumnida! St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions, pray for us!

Korean friends and me, enjoying a meal
during my visit in 2007